Fort Mill tennis team nearly perfect early in season

In their past three matches, the Fort Mill girls’ tennis team has dropped just four sets as they have improved to 3-1 on the season.

After losing their season opener to Myers Park, Fort Mill bounced back with a vengeance, beating Northwestern, Lancaster and Clover.

Against Northwestern, the Jackets won at No. 2 doubles in a tie-breaker and won their other six matches in straight sets. Junior Elizabeth Fitzgerald won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Senior Shreya Katti won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles and No. 3 singles Rachel Brooks followed with a similar score.

Sophomore Wallace Cortazar won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles and senior Ellie Prain won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Freshman Jamie Petrella and senior Claire Neal won in No. 2 doubles in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 and Fitzgerald and Brooks teamed up in No. 1 doubles to win 8-0.

Against Lancaster, Fort Mill dropped a total of four games on the way to a 7-0 win with Fitzgerald, Katti, Brooks, Cortazar, and Prain all getting straight set wins. Petrella and Neal won in No. 2 doubles in straight sets and Fitzgerald and Brooks also won in doubles play.

The match against Clover was a tougher one with Fort Mill dropping three sets as three matches went to a third-set tiebreaker with the Jackets coming out on top in all of them. Katti won a third set tie breaker in No. 2 singles play, as did Cortazar in No. 4 singles play. Neal and Petrella were also forced into a third set, winning 6-3, 5-7, 1-0.

Despite the torrid pace, Fort Mill will be taking on its toughest competition this week in Region IV at Rock Hill. The Jackets also will host South Pointe at home this week before facing rival Nation Ford next week.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Fort Mill tennis team nearly perfect early in season."